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New Marine Director and Harbour Master at the River Hamble Harbour Authorityhttp://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=686305http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=686305
New Marine Director and Harbour Master at the River Hamble Harbour Authority

Friday 31 July 2015

The new Marine Director and Harbour Master at the River Hamble Harbour Authority, Jason Scott, has taken up his new post.

Jason has very strong maritime credentials, as well as being a keen cruising yachtsman and racing an RS300 dinghy. He has enjoyed an extensive career in the Royal Navy, as well as roles within Central Government and the Health and Retail sectors. He holds a current unlimited Master's qualification and is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute.

Councillor Keith Evans, Chairman of the Hamble Harbour Authority Harbour Board, announced Jason's appointment and said: "We are delighted to welcome Jason to this post and feel sure he will bring a strong array of skills and experience to this role. A key part of Jason's job will be to work with the many groups and interests represented on the river in seeking to keep the River Hamble at the leading edge of leisure harbours."

Jason replaces David Evans, who retired earlier this month following a successful 11 year tenure in the role.

Jason is a Hampshire man and commented: "I am very pleased and excited to get this role in one of the country's most prominent leisure harbours and I look forward to working with many of the people who I know are passionate about its future. It's great to be leading a really strong team who are committed to doing a great job on the river."

Across Hampshire 147 young people (aged 17 to 25) have struck 'Gold' after completing a range of challenges, to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh' (DofE) Gold Award.

At a ceremony, organised by the DofE, Hampshire Forum and Hampshire County Council, and held in The Great Hall in Winchester, 55 of the young achievers were presented with their Hampshire Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award certificates by the Guest of Honour, Mr Nigel Atkinson, Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire. Mr Atkinson is also the President of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Hampshire.

In addition to parents and friends, a number of civic dignitaries and guests were present to offer their congratulations to the young people. They included Lady Portal, High Sheriff of Hampshire, and Councillor Jonathan Glen, Chairman of Hampshire County Council. Vice Admiral Michael Gretton a Forum Vice President and a former National Director of the Award was also present, as were Forum Vice Presidents Mr Ian Greig and Brigadier Ray Bradbury.

Councillor Jonathan Glen, Chairman of Hampshire County Council and a Forum Vice President, said: "The Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme is an excellent opportunity for young people to challenge themselves and gain an enormous sense of achievement in doing so. The self-confidence they gain through testing themselves, learning new skills and meeting new people will stay with them for the rest of their lives and lead to future successes. They should be justifiably proud of their Gold Awards and I congratulate them."

Camping expeditions, overseas adventures, volunteering, crewing Tall Ships and volunteering for national charities were just some of the challenges undertaken by the young people as they worked towards gaining their awards.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a nationwide scheme, requiring participants to spend time volunteering, learning or improving a skill, taking part in a physical activity, and undertaking an expedition with a group of friends. In the case of the Gold Award, a young person will typically give over 50 hours of volunteering, spend a total of eighteen months on the skill and physical activities, and undertake a four-day expedition in terrain classified as 'Wild Country' - from Snowdonia and The Lake District, to Scotland - camping overnight, carrying all their kit, and being fully self-sufficient.

"DofE represents a major challenge, and gaining the Gold Award is a real achievement"; said Martin King, the Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Hampshire Forum. "I hope to see many more young people following in their footsteps in the years to come."

Those going for Gold are also required to spend at least five days away from home on a challenge with a group of strangers. The young people attending the awards event had undertaken everything from crewing Tall Ships, helping children at a residential camp and assisting at a respite centre, to working with rural communities in Africa, Indonesia, Canada and the Himalayas.

The Lord-Lieutenant praised the young people for demonstrating the commitment and determination needed to gain this prestigious award, and, having pointed out that there was a real need for leaders to train the next generation of young participants, he urged them to offer some of their time and skill to those undertaking DofE Awards in the future.

As well as the formal awards ceremony there was a musical performance by Charlotte Calloway and Rachel Manson from the Woolston and Weston Open DofE Centre, both of whom received their Gold Award. Alex Green and Ollie Yeats-Brown from the Winchester Open DofE Centre read out the details of each young person's Gold achievements as well as receiving their own Gold certificates. Members of the Hampshire DofE Youth Forum provided their help with guiding VIP guests, handing the certificates and gifts to the Lord-Lieutenant, as well as persuading guests to contribute generously as the end of the evening.

Works are due to start week commencing Monday, 3 August 2015 on highway improvements in Hythe centre adjacent to the Hythe Ferry Terminal.

Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, County Councillor Seán Woodward said: "The proposed improvements will improve accessibility for all to local facilities and make it safer for pedestrians especially the mobility impaired. While it is accepted there will be some short term disruption during the works this will be outweighed by the benefits to the community and visitors to Hythe once they are completed."

The scheme, by Hampshire County Council, is aimed at improving accessibility to the town's businesses, shops and car parks. Work will be carried out by Colas Ltd on behalf of the County Council and is expected to last up to 10 weeks.

To help during the construction of the works, a one way system for traffic will operate from Jones Lane to St John's Street. It will also be necessary to close Prospect Place/The Marsh for a maximum of two nights to allow for resurfacing works to take place. The exact date of this closure will depend on how works progress but local residents will be informed well in advance.

]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 14:20:00 GMTCounty Council's country parks among the best in the UK.http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=686268http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=686268
County Council's country parks among the best in the UK.

Friday 31 July 2015

Hampshire County Council's five country parks will be flying the prestigious Green Flag Award for 2015.

The national award, handed out by environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy, recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces across the country. The Green Flag is a sign to visitors that the County Council's country parks achieve the highest possible standards, are well-maintained, and have good facilities.

Councillor Andrew Gibson, Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside, welcomed the accolade and said: "Green Flags are an important sign to visitors of the high quality they can enjoy during a visit to our country parks. They also represent all the hard work of staff, volunteers and partner organisations who are dedicated to making our country parks a wonderful location for everyone to enjoy.

"Over the next few years, we will be building on the success of our country parks, with a programme of transformation which, once complete, will provide an even greater array of activities and facilities, which will enable people to enjoy the outdoors more often throughout the year."

Lepe Country Park has over a mile of beautiful coastline which provides the perfect opportunity to take a tranquil stroll and admire stunning views across the Solent and over to the Isle of Wight. There is also an adventure playground for the children. The park shore played a vital role in D-Day preparations as thousands of troops with their vehicles and supplies left Lepe's beach for the coast of Normandy on 6 June 1944.

Manor Farm and Country Park can be enjoyed by all, whether it's walking, cycling or horse riding in the woods, or on the banks of the River Hamble. Children can enjoy meeting the animals in the historic farm, or play in the extensive Barnfield play area.

Queen Elizabeth Country Park has more than 200 acres of woodland and downland for the whole family to enjoy, with wonderful views of the South Downs and history that dates back to the Iron Age.

Royal Victoria Country Park sits on the shores of the River Solent and its iconic Chapel can be seen for miles around. From 1863 until 1966, the site was home to the Royal Victoria Hospital - more than a quarter of a mile long. As the British Army's first purpose-built hospital, the building devoted more than 100 years of service to caring for sick and wounded soldiers from across the world. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone herself on 19 May 1856 and visited the site over 20 times in her lifetime. The hospital came into its own during the First World War. The Heritage Lottery Fund has recently awarded a grant of £1.68 million to conserve the chapel. The project will include extensive conservation work, and improvements to the facilities for visitors.

Staunton Country Park offers acres of ancient woodland and beautifully landscaped parkland as well as George's Play Barn for the children and the farm, which is home to a wide range of animals from sheep and chickens, to Shetland ponies, a shire horse, llamas and Alpacas.

More information about Hampshire County Council's country parks and nature reserves can be found here

]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 12:45:00 GMTFinal chance to have your say on Stubbington Bypasshttp://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=686025http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=686025
Final chance to have your say on Stubbington Bypass

Thursday, 30 July 2015

The planning application for a brand new Stubbington by-pass has been submitted to Hampshire County Council and is currently open for comment until Friday 11 September.

The full application can be viewed online, at Fareham Borough Council or Hampshire County Council's head offices during office hours.

The £30 million bypass which will divert traffic around the outskirts of Stubbington will reduce journey time and peak hour congestion onto and off the Gosport peninsula; remove transport barriers to growth and encourage investment and regeneration; and improve connectivity and provide additional network resilience.

Councillor Seán Woodward, Executive Member for Economy Transport and Environment approved the preferred routes at his Decision Day, where he said: "Building a Stubbington bypass has been a desire of mine for over ten years and I am thrilled to see it finally being submitted for planning consent. However, I would like to encourage local residents and commuters to view the plans and submit any comments they might have, so that they can be taken into consideration before a decision is made. If planning permission can be secured, I am very hopeful that the new Government will look favourably at funding Stubbington by-pass as part of its commitment to developing infrastructure to support economic growth."

Stubbington bypass forms part of Hampshire's wider plan for improving access to Fareham and Gosport. A huge amount of work has already been completed on Newgate Lane north and the A27 Western Way, with work on Peel Common roundabout and St Margaret's roundabout set to start in the summer.

To get to this stage, Hampshire County Council has undergone extensive public consultations, comprehensive survey and detailed design work to ensure the exact location, scheme layout and mitigation measures meet the original objectives; to ease congestion, improve safety, and improve the area's economic prosperity.

A final decision will be made by the County Council's Regulatory Committee later in the year.

Thousands of children have flocked to libraries and Discovery Centres in Hampshire to sign up for this year's Summer Reading Challenge. More than 5,000 young people have already signed up to the national scheme which this year has a Record Breakers theme.

Councillor Andrew Gibson, Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside, praised staff and Hampshire's eager young readers: "It is brilliant that so many young people have signed up for this year's Summer Reading Challenge in the first week."

Children can register at any time during the summer holidays. The scheme is open to anyone aged 4-11 and participants receive a Wacky and Weird World Record Breakers poster and special stickers along the way. The aim is to get as many young people as possible to read six library books of their choice. Those that finish the challenge get a medal and a certificate.

Councillor Gibson added: "Children's reading ability can decline over the summer and research by the Reading Agency has found that those who take part in the Summer Reading Challenge maintain, and even improve, their reading level over this period."

This year, on the first day of the challenge, there was a Guinness World Record attempt by libraries all around the country to gather the highest number of reading pledges. Fifteen of Hampshire's libraries took part and, with the support of independent witnesses from the local community, they contributed more than 3200 pledges to the national target. An announcement about the result of the record attempt is due shortly.

Mrs Stephanie Tyler, Head Teacher of Crondall Primary School, was Lead Witness at Fleet library. She said "My local librarian approached me to be a Lead Witness for the record attempt. Not only am I personally passionate about the importance of reading, but as a Head Teacher I fully understand the importance of reading for pleasure to support a child's development and set them up with a lifetime skill and the opportunity to develop something which will open up a myriad of opportunities as they grow. If children can keep up their reading it the summer it really supports their learning in both reading and writing."

Find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge 2015 taking place across all libraries in Hampshire until 13 September in our library blog.

Hampshire County Council Leader, Councillor Roy Perry is pleased to announce that an additional 58,200 homes and businesses in the county now have faster broadband speeds thanks to Hampshire's Superfast Broadband Programme.

The programme marks an investment of £28 million to bring superfast broadband speeds to an extra 97,000 premises which would have otherwise been left out by the commercial roll out.

The ambition is to make high-speed broadband available to at least 95% of premises across Hampshire, by September 2018 - providing access to online services, education and leisure, and delivering a vital tool for economic success.

Commending the excellent progress, Councillor Perry said: "By the end of 2015, around 91% of premises will be connected, and we are well-placed to take action to further extend the existing programme. I now look forward to the Government's proposals on how to address the final 5% - ensuring the whole of Hampshire can benefit."

Councillor Perry also welcomed news that the Government's Innovation Fund trial (to target and improve broadband speeds in rural areas) has recently been extended to cover an extra 250 premises in Privett, East Hampshire. This brings the county's total number of rural premises connected under the scheme to 1,750. Through the fund, 700 premises have already been upgraded in rural Winchester.

Communities that fall outside of Hampshire's Superfast Broadband programme who wish to self-fund a solution to receive superfast broadband where they live can now apply for support from the County Council from a £400,000 fund. Communities can submit an expression of interest to receive a maximum of 50% of the total cost (up to £500 per premise), from 1 November. Details of the scheme are to be published shortly.

Take-up of Superfast Broadband has proved popular with Hampshire residents, with Basingstoke's Rooksdown ward reporting the highest take-up levels in the county, at 68%. This is followed by Hatch Warren and Beggarwood Ward (49%), then Bramley and Sherfield Ward (48%). Take-up is crucial as it allows the County Council's 'gainshare scheme' to kick in - i.e. the more residents that sign up for superfast broadband once it is available, the more funding the Council can claim back from BT to reinvest in the final 5% - the county's hardest-to-reach areas.

]]>Thu, 30 Jul 2015 10:24:00 GMTHampshire shows the way in flood resilience http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=685812http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=685812
Hampshire shows the way in flood resilience

Wednesday 29 Jul 2015

An innovative partnership project, involving Hampshire County Council, which promotes multi-agency working and active community involvement to tackle groundwater flooding, has been awarded a Government grant.

The project, covering the Bourne Valley, in Andover, is one of a handful of projects nationwide to become a Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Small Scheme Pathfinder and it has been awarded £77,500.

Commenting on the announcement Councillor Seán Woodward, Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, said: "This award is recognition of the proactive work which the County Council has undertaken with partners including the Environment Agency, Basingstoke and Deane and Test Valley Borough Councils, Southern Water and Parish councils to reduce the impact of groundwater flooding in the Bourne Valley. This work has included maintenance and capital works to improve the capacity of the existing drainage infrastructure, and supporting local flood action groups to make communities more resilient in the face of flooding and other civil emergencies."

The funding will be used to develop a 'package' of realistic, low cost, flood mitigation measures to manage the risk of flooding from all sources, that will engage the local community in practical activities, inform the wider partnership's programme of actions, and identify schemes that might attract national funding.

Cllr Woodward added: "The grant and inclusion on the Defra Small Schemes Pathfinder will enable us to build on this work, working collaboratively with the Environment Agency to improve our chances of securing future funding which may become available for projects under the national Flood Defence Grant in Aid scheme."

The pathfinder scheme will include working with the local communities to create a wider understanding of responsibilities regarding ditch and riparian watercourse maintenance as well as the impact land management can have on flood risk. It is anticipated the pathfinder will contribute to improved flood resilience in the Bourne Valley, providing locally sustainable solutions and that the approach can serve as a template to be replicated in other priority areas in the County when the need arises, or by authorities in other groundwater affected parts of the country.

]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 10:31:00 GMT£500,000 facelift for Romsey town centre starts in Augusthttp://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=685699http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=685699
£500,000 facelift for Romsey town centre starts in August

Tuesday 28 July 2015

Councillor Seán Woodward, Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, has announced that work will start in early August on the first phase of a £500,000 scheme to improve Church Street in Romsey town centre.

Commenting, he said: "The main aim of this scheme is to enhance the environment and support the economic viability of Romsey's historic town centre - while improving accessibility for all. Church Street currently has uneven surfaces, narrow pavements and relatively fast traffic flows that discourage people from enjoying the area for any length of time. Our scheme seeks to address these problems."

The improvement works will be undertaken between Abbey Walk and the Market Place Roundabout, and will last for 14 weeks. The scheme will raise the road to the same level as the existing footpaths, widen the footpaths and put in new paving and kerbs to create an environment which cyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicles can all use.

New street furniture such as benches, bins and bollards will also be installed to enhance the overall aesthetics of the town centre.

In addition, two new pedestrian crossing points will be installed.

More information about the scheme can be found on the County Council's website.

Excavation and installation of the big pipe on the £3.89 million flood alleviation scheme in Hambledon is underway, to deliver significant long term benefits to residents and businesses.

Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Economy Transport and Environment, Councillor Seán Woodward, who visited the site on Wednesday (22 July), said: "This bespoke scheme will provide much needed relief and peace of mind to residents and businesses, in an area that is prone to flooding. At its worst, the main roads through Hambledon were all completely flooded for several months by groundwater following the exceptional rainfall during the winter of 2013/14. Work on the main part of this project is now underway and has been designed to help mitigate the effects of such flooding in the future."

The first phase of works on ditch clearance and re-grading was completed earlier in the year. Working with its partners at the Environment Agency, Winchester City Council, Hambledon Parish Council and the Flood Action Group, Hampshire County Council has now completed the significant amount of preparation needed for phase two. Mildren Construction Limited are now excavating the road to install the big pipe which is designed to provide new floodwater culverts, road resurfacing and, where practical, reshaping of the road to help any floodwater stay within the kerbs.

The construction work is due to last until the end of summer 2016. Although the work will be contained within short sections in order to minimise disruption, it is anticipated that the current diversion on the B2150 will need to remain in place until towards the end of the year.

Cllr Woodward continued: "We have worked very hard with all the partners involved in this project to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum and people are able to gain access to their homes and local businesses at all times. Traffic management will remain under review until the end of the scheme so further steps can be taken if necessary."

Local residents and businesses are invited to a 'One-Stop-Shop' facility at the Village Hall on the second Monday of each month between 3:30 and 6:00pm to ask any questions about the scheme. There will also be a dedicated session for businesses between 2:00 and 3:00pm on the same day.

]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2015 10:52:00 GMTExciting future for Farnborough's new community hubhttp://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=685410http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hantswebnewslist.htm?id=685410
Exciting future for Farnborough's new community hub

Friday 24 July 2015

Farnborough Library opened its doors again on Friday July 24 after an extensive seven-week refit which includes a new community hub for local people.

Councillor Andrew Gibson, Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside welcomed the news saying: "Farnborough library now offers something for everyone. As well as books and areas for study, it offers bright, welcoming spaces for the community to use, and we are developing purpose-built facilities for people with learning disabilities and lots of scope for group activities. I look forward to seeing the library taking a wider role in community life."

The new-look Farnborough Library building accommodates a modernised environment, with new activity rooms and the latest self service technology, allowing greater flexibility in the way customers access the service and releasing staff to help those requiring more support. There will be a purpose built space for people who currently attend Hampshire County Council's Day Service for people with learning disabilities and space for people who receive a service from Parkside, (formerly the local Mencap). Hampshire County Council Day Service for people with learning disabilities will be relocating from Aldershot to Farnborough and Parkside are expanding their services and successful community cafe to Farnborough, which is due to open in the autumn.

The transformation of the library building and the relocation of Aldershot learning disability day services to Farnborough Library and the expansion of Parkside is one of a number of similar projects taking place across the county designed to bring services for people with learning disabilities closer to the local community while providing improved facilities for local residents.

Farnborough library also welcomes lots of younger visitors. The re-opening of the library has come just in time for the summer holidays, and with thousands of young people signed up to the 2015 Summer Reading Challenge in libraries across Hampshire, Farnborough will be expecting many children over the next few weeks, coming to take up the challenge.

Children can sign up to the reading challenge at any time during the summer holidays. The aim is to get as many young people as possible to read six library books of their choice. The theme this year is Record Breakers. Find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge in our library blog.